Patient monitoring systems are commonly used in hospitals, such as in intensive care units (ICUs), for monitoring patient status and condition. Conventional patient monitoring systems typically include a bedside monitor having one or more sensors attached to the patient, for sensing parameters such as ECG, blood pressure, blood oxygen, blood glucose and temperature. The output from the sensors is sent to a system processor, which subsequently processes the measured values. These values may then be displayed on a video display screen or stored for later analysis. Data representing the measured physiological parameters is typically displayed as waveforms and/or numerical values.
Conventional patient monitoring systems are also capable of handling critical patient events or alarm conditions. For example, when the value of one of the physiological parameters being monitored exceeds a predetermined threshold value and/or meets predetermined alarm criteria, an alarm is activated by the bedside monitor and subsequently transmitted to a central monitoring station. The alarm can be annunciated at the central station in various ways, such as by highlighting relevant parameter information. An audible alarm is also typically generated at the central station.
In any information intensive or demanding medical environment, such as an intensive care unit, it is important to present the information on the display screen of a patient monitoring system in a clear and unambiguous manner. However, conventional patient monitoring systems are limited in their ability to present a comparison or evaluation of changing patient diagnostic variables. Although the conventional systems are useful in accumulating much useful data, accessing the data is oftentimes difficult and time-consuming.
Several patient monitoring systems have been disclosed in the prior art as highlighting critical patient events and alarm conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,983, assigned to Koninklijke Philips Electronics, discloses “a patient monitoring system comprising: a sensor for measuring values representative of a physiological parameter; and a processor coupled to said sensor for processing said parameter values measured by said sensor, said processor comprising: means for determining whether said parameter values are within safe zone limits; means for initiating calculation of a trend vector when said parameter values go outside said safe zone limits, said trend vector being a function of changes in said parameter values and time; means for comparing said trend vector with an alarm limit function; and means for issuing an alarm when said trend vector exceeds said alarm limit function”.
Prior art patient monitoring systems also include sensor systems that provide output signals indicative of normal, above normal or below normal sensed conditions. The signals may be used to monitor a condition and may be combined so that specific combinations of abnormal signals provide an indication of the condition of the patient. Although the prior art systems attempt to simultaneously communicate large amounts of patient data and information, these systems are lacking in that they do not provide the physician or clinician with efficient and effective means for quickly analyzing data in an information-rich environment.
In addition, with current patient monitoring systems, individual health parameters are typically seen as individual data elements. Clinicians look at each parameter separately to assess the composite trends of the status of the patient. Thus, it is often a time-consuming challenge for health care providers to accurately assess multiple parameters in context, thus resulting in errors or missed data, and further resulting in poor decisions regarding patient status.
What is therefore needed are methods, systems and apparatuses for monitoring of patient physiological parameters that facilitate in the assessment of patient status and patient health on a unified display.
What is also needed is a patient monitoring device that is able to continuously present the status of at least one measured parameter in a clear and concise manner, thus aiding healthcare providers in making decisions and drawing conclusions on patient wellness despite being confronted by substantial amounts of information in stressful environments such as an intensive care unit.
What is also needed is a patient monitoring device for recognizing data from a plurality of parameters indicating patient wellness status in a unified display.
What is also needed is a patient monitoring device that is able to continuously present the status of a plurality of measured parameters in a clear and concise manner, thus aiding healthcare providers in making decisions and drawing conclusions on patient wellness.
Furthermore, what is needed is a patient monitoring system in which alarm conditions are clearly presented on the display screen of the patient monitoring system, such that a life-threatening patient condition can be differentiated from other, less serious alarms or with alarms that have already been acknowledged.